This invention relates generally to battery terminals and more particularly to a battery side terminal having an insert for providing protection against battery damage resulting from over-tightening or improper use of a threaded battery connector fastener.
Batteries having molded-in-place lead terminal structures are known in the battery art and typically rely on the integrity of the lead casting to effectively seal the battery against leakage of fluid electrolyte through the terminal. Because lead is relatively soft, and hence rather easily deformed, it is a known practice to cast the lead around a two-piece structure having a threaded, open-ended, corrosion resistant nut in combination with a separate end cap disk in order to provide the terminal with a durable socket for receiving the threaded shank of a battery connector fastener.
Although the use of a threaded, open-ended nut in conjunction with a separate end cap is effective in providing a secure connection when a battery connector fastener of the proper length is used, the consistent use of properly dimensioned fasteners throughout the life of the battery cannot always be assured. When a fastener having excessive length is inserted into a terminal and fully tightened, it is possible for the excess length of the fastener to force the end cap into the relatively soft lead lying behind the nut. The resulting deformation of the underlying lead can physically break the internal connections of the battery. In extreme cases, the end cap can be forced fully through the lead and into the interior of the battery, thereby creating the risk of short circuits and a possible battery explosion.
In view of the foregoing, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved battery terminal construction.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved battery terminal construction which protects against battery damage in the event a battery connector fastener having excessive length is inserted into the terminal.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved battery terminal construction which protects against battery damage in the event a battery connector fastener is over-tightened during installation.